April 13, 2025 • 5 mins
The producer of the newly released Polkinghorne documentary is denying claims from its namesake, the TV show is tabloid clickbait.
The three episodes explore the eight-week trial which saw Auckland eye doctor Phillip Polkinghorne found not guilty for the death of his wife Pauline Hanna.
Producer Polly Fryer told Andrew Dickens it's played no part in the judicial process and doesn't shy away from his lifestyle choices.
Fryer says portraying a side of life not often seen doesn't make it clickbait, and Philip himself has said he's not on trial for morality issues.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So last night the new documentary on the poking Horn
trial was released and you can take a listen right now.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
For thirty odd years I have been watching wealthy then
control women, but he usually doesn't end in dead. Evidence
is missing.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
But it didn't much sease.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I was thinking his story gets changing.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Oco, it's just snowballing into this incredible spectacle that couldn't
look away from all right. Yes. The documentary received two
hundred and twenty eight grand from funding from New Zealand
On air. It follows the eight week trial of Philip Pokinghorn,
who was accused of killing his wife, Pauline Hannah back
in twenty twenty one at Easter two. So this is
what third anniversary, fourth anniversary. A jury ultimately found Pokinghorn
(00:49):
not guilty. He walked out of the Court of Free Man,
telling a scrum of reporters to let Pauline rest in peace.
But that's not happening, is it? Because we've got this
new documentary and Polly Fryer is the producer of it
and joins us this morning, Good morning to.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Your Polly, good morning, how are you great?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
It's a good watch. I have to say, why make it?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I think it's important to make these stories so that
people can hear particularly from two of the key witnesses
and participants in the case that we didn't hear form
in court. That's Madison Ashton and doctor Philip Pulkinghorn himself,
so an opportunity to find out more from their perspective,
and that obviously wasn't presented through the judicial process.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I've found it fascinating right from the get go, because
I saw the rope, and I saw the house, and
I saw the bed, and I got a fuller picture
of the story. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, that's often the way that documentaries can do that
because we don't have the same you know, we're obviously
not there to prove his guilt or his innocence, So
we have the ability to be able to show things
in much more detail and with much more commentary from
more of the players, and give more detail to a
lot of elements of the case.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Now I feel poking Horn later in the series. I've
not got to that point yet. I've only seen the
first one. But later and this is making the headlines.
He blamed the COVID vaccine for Pauline's death. Is anyone
buying that?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I think it's clear to say that neither the defense
nor the prosecution mentioned or used the COVID vaccine theory
during the court case. So we can't comment any further
on it. But that's all that we know that it
was never raised as part of the trial.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Okay, he hasn't been found innocent, he was found not guilty.
That's the way the law works. However, you are in
a way relitigating it. Did you have concerns around the
defamation while making this story?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I think that it's quite a balanced documentary, and obviously
there's a lot of Polkinghorn in there himself talking to
us and commenting on the situation. We did ask Ron
Mansfield to participate and doctor Polkinghorn again after the initial interview,
but both declined, as did dozens of other acquaintances and
(02:59):
former colleagues of Horns who we approached. But I don't
think that really we're trying to re litigate it. I
think what we're trying to do is give more detail
on a fascinating subject in a case that is sort
of captured the nation and probably very interesting to others
abroad as well.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yes, and you've got overseas backing as well. I mean,
what is it? Sky News UK and Warner Brothers Discovery,
So is this going to play worldwide?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Nine in Australia have acquired the series, have Sky UK
and then we have a representation for rest of world,
so we'll see how that goes following the New Zealand release.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It's fascinating because the interview with Pokinghorn happened nineteen months
before the trial, so obviously he's wanting to talk to
you and to convince you of his innocence. He has
a quote saying when you and Julia Hartley Moore approached him,
you said you'll be able to help him without any advice.
He trusted you both and what they said to me.
But now he's come out and described his own documentary
(03:55):
series as tad BOYD clickbait and he claims he was misled.
What do you say to that.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Mark McNeil, the other executi producer myself weren't on board
the project when Julia and Chris Cook did the interview
with Polkinghorn. Chris Cook has not been involved in the
documentary since the interview was held. Julia is an executive
producer on the series. I think it's been it's clear
even from the text messages in the stuff article that
(04:22):
we agreed to not air the documentary until after the trial,
so we were never going to be any part of
a judicial process that was questioning his guilt or not.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
But is it tabloid clickbait? As he sees, after all,
it is a prilliant insight into a world of remi
weerra and hookers and murder and all sorts. I know,
so alleged murder.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
That was his life. We're only telling his life as
he tells us in those in his life, including Madison
Ashton tell it. I don't think it's clickbait for that.
I think it's probably you know, portraying a side of
life that maybe we don't see that often. And as
Philip himself says, he's not on trial for morality issues
and we're not trialing for morality issues either. We're really
(05:07):
saying what his life was like and what Pauline's life
was like in the time leading up to her passing.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, good job, it's a good watch, and I thank
you so much for your time today. That is Polly Fryer,
producer of the new Poking Horn documentary. You can see
it on three now. You can see it streaming, so
you can watch it whenever you like. And as I say,
it's got funding from Sky UK and the Nine network,
support from New Zealand on Air and the government's Screen
Production Grant.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to news Talks it be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
So last night the new documentary on the poking Horn
trial was released and you can take a listen right now.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
For thirty odd years I have been watching wealthy then
control women, but he usually doesn't end in dead. Evidence
is missing.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
But it didn't much sease.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I was thinking his story gets changing.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Oco, it's just snowballing into this incredible spectacle that couldn't
look away from all right. Yes. The documentary received two
hundred and twenty eight grand from funding from New Zealand
On air. It follows the eight week trial of Philip Pokinghorn,
who was accused of killing his wife, Pauline Hannah back
in twenty twenty one at Easter two. So this is
what third anniversary, fourth anniversary. A jury ultimately found Pokinghorn
(00:49):
not guilty. He walked out of the Court of Free Man,
telling a scrum of reporters to let Pauline rest in peace.
But that's not happening, is it? Because we've got this
new documentary and Polly Fryer is the producer of it
and joins us this morning, Good morning to.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Your Polly, good morning, how are you great?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
It's a good watch. I have to say, why make it?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I think it's important to make these stories so that
people can hear particularly from two of the key witnesses
and participants in the case that we didn't hear form
in court. That's Madison Ashton and doctor Philip Pulkinghorn himself,
so an opportunity to find out more from their perspective,
and that obviously wasn't presented through the judicial process.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I've found it fascinating right from the get go, because
I saw the rope, and I saw the house, and
I saw the bed, and I got a fuller picture
of the story. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, that's often the way that documentaries can do that
because we don't have the same you know, we're obviously
not there to prove his guilt or his innocence, So
we have the ability to be able to show things
in much more detail and with much more commentary from
more of the players, and give more detail to a
lot of elements of the case.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Now I feel poking Horn later in the series. I've
not got to that point yet. I've only seen the
first one. But later and this is making the headlines.
He blamed the COVID vaccine for Pauline's death. Is anyone
buying that?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I think it's clear to say that neither the defense
nor the prosecution mentioned or used the COVID vaccine theory
during the court case. So we can't comment any further
on it. But that's all that we know that it
was never raised as part of the trial.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Okay, he hasn't been found innocent, he was found not guilty.
That's the way the law works. However, you are in
a way relitigating it. Did you have concerns around the
defamation while making this story?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I think that it's quite a balanced documentary, and obviously
there's a lot of Polkinghorn in there himself talking to
us and commenting on the situation. We did ask Ron
Mansfield to participate and doctor Polkinghorn again after the initial interview,
but both declined, as did dozens of other acquaintances and
(02:59):
former colleagues of Horns who we approached. But I don't
think that really we're trying to re litigate it. I
think what we're trying to do is give more detail
on a fascinating subject in a case that is sort
of captured the nation and probably very interesting to others
abroad as well.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yes, and you've got overseas backing as well. I mean,
what is it? Sky News UK and Warner Brothers Discovery,
So is this going to play worldwide?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Nine in Australia have acquired the series, have Sky UK
and then we have a representation for rest of world,
so we'll see how that goes following the New Zealand release.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It's fascinating because the interview with Pokinghorn happened nineteen months
before the trial, so obviously he's wanting to talk to
you and to convince you of his innocence. He has
a quote saying when you and Julia Hartley Moore approached him,
you said you'll be able to help him without any advice.
He trusted you both and what they said to me.
But now he's come out and described his own documentary
(03:55):
series as tad BOYD clickbait and he claims he was misled.
What do you say to that.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Mark McNeil, the other executi producer myself weren't on board
the project when Julia and Chris Cook did the interview
with Polkinghorn. Chris Cook has not been involved in the
documentary since the interview was held. Julia is an executive
producer on the series. I think it's been it's clear
even from the text messages in the stuff article that
(04:22):
we agreed to not air the documentary until after the trial,
so we were never going to be any part of
a judicial process that was questioning his guilt or not.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
But is it tabloid clickbait? As he sees, after all,
it is a prilliant insight into a world of remi
weerra and hookers and murder and all sorts. I know,
so alleged murder.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
That was his life. We're only telling his life as
he tells us in those in his life, including Madison
Ashton tell it. I don't think it's clickbait for that.
I think it's probably you know, portraying a side of
life that maybe we don't see that often. And as
Philip himself says, he's not on trial for morality issues
and we're not trialing for morality issues either. We're really
(05:07):
saying what his life was like and what Pauline's life
was like in the time leading up to her passing.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Well, good job, it's a good watch, and I thank
you so much for your time today. That is Polly Fryer,
producer of the new Poking Horn documentary. You can see
it on three now. You can see it streaming, so
you can watch it whenever you like. And as I say,
it's got funding from Sky UK and the Nine network,
support from New Zealand on Air and the government's Screen
Production Grant.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to news Talks it be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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